Government announces post-implementation review of Whiplash Reform Programme

The government has launched a post-implementation review of the Whiplash Reform Programme.

The Whiplash Reform Programme was implemented on 31 May 2021 with the aim of reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims in order to produce savings for consumers in the form of lower insurance premiums.

It was also introduced to provide claimants with greater choice in how to make their claim.

The review, announced by Justice Minister Sarah Sackman, will look into measures introduced in Part 1 of the Civil Liability Act 2018.

Sackman said: ”This government is committed to ensuring that regulation supports growth, delivers value for money and fulfils our promise to control the cost of car insurance. We want to ensure the law is working as intended. That is why it is we are undertaking a post-implementation review of the Whiplash Reform Programme. This call for evidence marks an important step in that work.

”The responses to this call for evidence will help ensure the evidence base is robust, up-to-date and represents a broad range of views.

”I encourage all those with an interest in, or have been affected by, the Whiplash Reform Programme to respond.”

OIC Portal

As part of the Whiplash Reform Programme, the Official Injury Claim (OIC) service portal was setup.

According to an analysis by Verisk in August 2025, four years on from the OIC portal’s launch, the system is facing new pressures as non-tariff injuries – referring to personal injuries that are not defined as whiplash – now account for more than half of the portal’s claims submissions.

Verisk noted that while whiplash only claims have decreased in cost and duration, as intended by the Civil Liability Act’s measures, greater attention and claims volume has shifted to secondary soft tissue injuries that fall outside of the tariff table – such as sprains and strains.

The proportion of claims involving non-tariff injuries rose from 37% in 2021 to more than 53% by mid-2025, the firm reported, with average injuries per claim increasing from 0.7 to 1.1.

Following the government announcing its review of the Whiplash Reform Programme, Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director at The Association of Consumer Support Organisations, said: “While the Ministry of Justice’s appetite to make any meaningful improvements to the whiplash programme, for example through improving the governance of the OIC portal, may be limited, we all need to take the opportunity to provide feedback, raise concerns and remind the government of its policy aims.

“Not least of these was that the reforms were meant to reduce claims numbers and therefore save motorists money. There, the report card is mixed, in that claims have indeed fallen precipitously but few of the savings have been passed on by insurers. The promised £35 per year, per premium reduction turns out to be only £31 over three years, less than 30% of the target.

“With the Motor Insurance Taskforce report looming, we should be wary of any further promises that prove to be built on sand and instead ask officials to focus on making what already is in place work much better.”